Lost Without You
by ollixanna
Summary: Scarlett O'Hara was a force, and it was a crime to have to bury her next to her parents. One-shot told from Will's POV.


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Gone with the Wind. All done for fun, not profit.**

**AN: ****Finals and graduation this week. I needed a short break, so I polished this up and decided to post it.**

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Will Benteen slowly made his way into the church. Over the years, he had grown used to not having his other leg anymore, but some days he wished he could walk straighter and be stronger for his family. Today was one of those days. Suellen followed him as they took their place at the front of the church, their children filing in after them.

Suellen sat between Will and her sister Carreen, who had come from the convent for this event, bringing a priest with her. The priest had known their mother, and had met the O'Hara girls several times over the course of their lives. Carreen would not let anyone else conduct such an important event.

As everyone settled down, the priest began to speak.

"Anyone who knew Scarlett Butler, knew she was a vibrant, set in her ways, sort of woman. Never was she deterred by society's expectations. Never did she let any of her family go without. Never did she complain about shouldering so much for so many.

Scarlett Butler was a good woman, and her death comes as a shock to all who knew her.

It is difficult to imagine the woman who fought for so long to keep those around her and herself alive for so long, would succumb to death. It is with deep regret that we are gathered here today to bid her farewell as she makes the journey to her final resting place."

Melanie sobbed loudly at this moment, drawing Will's attention to her. He watched as Mister Wilkes took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze as he obviously fought back his own outburst of emotion. Will had always been suspicious of Ashley. In all the time they'd spent together at Tara, Ashley always seemed a little guilty about something. It was not until he'd seen him kissing Scarlett in the orchard one winter that he realized why.

Will then glanced over at his wife and her sister, embracing each other as they allowed their tears to slide down their cheeks freely. Will turned his eyes on the priest once more, uncomfortable in his suit, and with his wife's emotional display. He was surprised at the large turnout but he supposed when a woman died so tragically people were apt to forgive past transgressions and slights.

As the priest continued, Will glanced in the direction of his nephew and nieces. Wade's eyes were hard and his expression was steadfast and reminiscent of his mother's strength. Next to him, Ella for once was still and while her eyes held no tears, her expression read of fear and uncertainty. The youngest child, Bonnie, sat in her father's lap, seemingly unable to grasp the situation held no expression of sorrow or grief.

Rhett Butler appeared to be extremely put together. Only those who had been at the house knew how much effort went into dressing him today.

Will had heard that day Scarlett died, Captain Butler had fled the house and not come back until he was thoroughly intoxicated, escorted by Atlanta's most notorious madam and his apparent preferred companion, Belle Watling. And for two more days, he continued the same pattern, drinking himself to oblivion and coming home at all hours.

By the time Will and Suellen arrived at the Butler house, they found him keeping watch over Scarlett. Not allowing anyone to come near her save Mammy or Melanie. The children were understandably frightened by his behavior. Will had heard him as he constantly begged for her forgiveness, for her to awaken, for God to take pity on him. It was a sad situation indeed.

This morning, it was Ashley who had taken it upon himself to insure Captain Butler was actually presentable. Rhett had fought to stay with Scarlett but with the help of a few servants, Ashley somehow managed to drag him away and up to his room. Nobody mentioned the bruise on Ashley's cheek.

The blank stare Captain Butler wore now was a significant improvement to the near constant tears he'd shed in every previous moment up until now. While his eyes were bloodshot, and his face slightly bloated, the grief was undeniable and overwhelming.

Everywhere Will had gone this week, he had heard the townspeople commenting on how affected Captain Butler was by the whole ordeal. Never had they seen a man so distressed by the death of his wife. Each conversation always ended with someone mentioning the rumors of the state of the Butler marriage, and surprise at the fact that despite what they had heard and Captain Butler's recent trip, that he was so saddened.

And as he watched as they viewed Scarlett, he noticed some people appeared to be struck with a strange sense of discontent. He imagined they were thinking about how her death would affect their lives. Never again would anyone have news to relate about the town's most talked about woman. Never again would they enter her store and see her dressing down a clerk for a minor dalliance. Never again would she be seen driving through town, alone and unashamed.

When it was Will's turn to see Scarlett, he sighed sadly. She was far too still for his liking. Scarlett O'Hara had been a vibrant woman, and had never been still for very long in any circumstance. When she ran Tara, she was always doing something whether it was mending clothing or picking cotton. And when she came to visit, she always kept herself busy.

It seemed unfair now that after losing so many friends in the War, that another should pass from this world after it had ended. While many people had scorned her, there was no avoiding the fact that without people like her, Atlanta would never have been rebuilt with some Southern influence. He knew Scarlett was a harsh businesswoman, but he knew she had her reasons. You don't go without food for the sake of others for personal vanity. And he had seen Scarlett give up her share more often than anyone else. And when she began to make money, she shared it with Will and Sue, and her aunts, and Carreen's church. Scarlett was not so bad as the town seemed to believe she was.

Scarlett O'Hara was a force, and it was a crime to have to bury her next to her parents. Will shook his head sadly, it was a genuine tragedy to lose a woman who always had more fight left in her and cared so much for everyone in her life.

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**AN: I don't know. One night I thought, what if Scarlett had died when she fell down the stairs. And this story was born. I have a soft spot for Will, so I told the story through him. Or tried to anyway. I hope you enjoyed it. An update on What If It Was You? next week, too much going on to get that done now.**

**As always, reviews and comments are sincerely appreciated.  
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